My Turn #028: Wendy
Lakefront Brewery

Attractive, sweet aroma: vanilla, wood, bread, perhaps some spice in there. 1/2 inch, yellow-white thick head from a vigorous pour, dropping slowly. Not much lacing left behind. Eventually settling to a bubbly cap. Dark amber hazy color, visible bubbles rising. Sweet, malty taste. Caramel, toffee, bready, slight contribution from the wood. No alcohol evident in the taste. No whiskey flavor from the wood, either. Body is on the thin side and is nearly flat, still. Aroma and taste are very enjoyable, but as a whole package, OK, but that's about it.

 

 

12oz bottle, snifter glass. Medium caramel body, clear, one finger white head, good retention, bit of lacing. Smell is sweet toffee, a bit of pumpernickel bread, very slight vanilla, nutty, touch of wood but not necessarily whiskey. Flavour is a sweet toffee and biscuit combination, sweet malty doppelbock with a touch of vanilla, big nutty flavours on the backend. No oak or whiskey is evident. Mouthfeel is lighter medium bodied, good carbonation, smooth, easy to drink. Think of this as a fairly standard doppelbock with a dab of vanilla and that's what you're getting here.

 

Golden amber color. Minimal white head disappears quickly. Woody, light vanilla, caramel a bit of spice. Hoped for a bit more. Taste is more than smell reveals. Malty, sweet, and a mix of woody bourbon something. At 9%, not much alcohol taste at any point. A nice feel. Low carbonation. I had expected more from this beer but that’s on me. This is a very delicious beer and I will buy again until supply is exhausted.

Poured 12oz bottle into stemmed tulip glass. Amber/brown with a 1.5 finger khaki head. Fizzles quickly into a thick collar and leaves behind a bit of lacing. Nice and bready, malty with sweet grains, vanilla, and dark fruit with caramel. Flavor is sweet and bready with cereal flavors and imitation vanilla. Some toffee and caramel. Medium light and sticky with a good amount of carbonation. A bit sweeter than a dopplebock and not much from the bourbon oak spirals.

 

My Turn Series #28: Wendy is a Vanilla Doppelbock Lager Age on Bourbon Oak, 9.0%. Purchased 10/6/18, tasted 10/12/18.

Pours modest head which quickly reduces to a patchy, partial cover. Minimal lacing. Liquid is brown, but on the lighter side. Aroma is mostly lager yeast and some roasted malt. Taste also highly influenced by yeast (pleasant for the style) and roast with a slight caramel and bread undertone. Little suggestion of vanilla, bourbon or oak. These aspects are definitely understated. Mouthfeel is moderately light and appropriately carbonated.

This was a nice change for a mostly ale drinker. I wish the flavor additions were more intense...almost not noticeable. Something different, but not something I would seek out.